St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-01
DOWN IN A DITCH.
a Northern Pacific Passenger Train
Wrecked a Few Miles From
Steele, Oak.
The Heat Of the Day Spread the
Rails and Caused a Serious
Disaster.
Five Coaches Loaded With Emigrants,
Tourists and Soldiers Smashed
to Flinders.
One Man Killed Outright and Number of
Others More or LESS Seriously
Injured.
Among Those Who Are
Badly Hurt.
MttchelI's WilI--General North
western News.
Special TO the Globe.


O'Clock. twelve miles out of this city, near
Driscoll station, and precipitated five of its
seven coaches into a ditch. The train was
running on heavy down grade at the time
and the heat of the sun. which has been some
thing unusual here at this season, had
warped the rail. The engine and express
car passed over in safety, but the five cars
following left the track and turned bottom
upward in the ditch. Two of the coaches
Seventh United States cavalry ell route or
Forts Y rates and Buford. The other three
were filled with emigrants and tirSt-class
passengers, mostly bound for the Pacific
coast. Following is list of the killed and
wounded:
KILLED.
W o. BREED, of Faribaut, MINI. He was
accompanied by his family, en- route for
Washington Territory. He was standing on
the platform talking to Charles Stanley, of
this city, when the crash came, and in at
tempting TO jump OFF was caught by an over
turning coach and crushed to death. Stanley
escaped injury by jumping Off Oh the opposite
side. Mr.. Breeds family were uninjured.
WOUNDED.
{. II. GRAY, Ellsworth Falls, Me-, cut in
arms and head.
Miss GERTRUDE HILL, Bozeman, Mont,
badly hurt internally.
H. H. SCOBELL, superintendent Northern
Pacific telegraph lines, legs badly smashed
and doubts of recovery.
MICHAEL MCCARBRY, Seventh cavalry
Fort Yates, seriously cut in the shoulder and
collar bone broken.
H. R. SCOTT, Seventh cavalry, Fort Buford,
jaw broken.
ALBERT WOLF, Seventh cavalry, Fort
Yates, and JOHN c. KELLY, Fort BufOrd,
injured internally but not seriously.
DIR. John Harcourt. of Steele. was on the
train but escaped injury, and at once set
about attending the wounded. He tele-
graphed here for his brother. DR.. W. l..
Harcourt, of Chicago, who was visiting
here, and the latter was at once conveyed
20 the wreck on hand car.
Both gentlemen worked like Tro-
ganS to assist the sufferers.
Only the dining-car and sleeper remained
Oh the rails. 1t is surprising and fortunate
that more were not killed. as the wreck is
bad one. Several injured passengers re-
fused for some reason to give their name,
Notwithstanding persistent inquiry. Supt.
Graham with wrecking outfit passed
up to the scene at o'clock. but it
will be many hours yet before the track can
be cleared. 1t will be necessary to build a
track around the wreck, and this will
neceSsitate heavy labor The railroad COM
pany is giving the wounded every attention
and has corps of physicians and assistants
on the spot. The injured were removed to
Bismarck.
THE NEWS AT BISMARCK.
Special to the Globe.
BISMARCK, Oak, April 3O.-A special train
has arrived from the wreck, carrying DR..
Porter and half q dozen other persons.
Among those on the wrecked train was Col
Magili, of Menoken, who gave a graphic de-
scriptlon Of the affair. He was in the second
emlgrant car, in which cwere forty soldiers
While reading q paper he felt q jurring
movement of the car and instantly realized
that il was off the track. He then felt
rolling movement of the car and knew it was
going over. Reaching for something by
which to support himself, he caught sleep
ing berth, and as the car went over he swung
himself off and hung by his hands. When the
car struck the bottom of the embanKment he
lit on his feet and instantly took survey of
the situation. All he could see was a Squirm-
ing, writhing mass of blue legs and arms
kicking and clawing i'll every direction. He
COMMANDED SILENCE
and asked If any were too badly hurt to get
out. After helping one or two out from
under the stove and seats the windows were
thrown open and all were passed out without
accident. When Magil got out he knew for
the FIRST time that the other cars were also
wrecked. The car in front of him was the
first deIailed, and was the one in which
Breed was riding. Breed was evidently
riding on the platform as he was found with
corner OF the car resting across his body.
Col. Magill was the first to reach him, and as
sisted until the body was removed OF the
Breed family there were the father, mother,
grown daughter and two small children. The
mother was prostrated with grief. All
were badly shaken up, but none seriously
hurt. The father with practical
turn or mind, is soon as his sons body was
removed made Il careful examination of the
track rails and ties and calling attention to q
number of rotten and broken ties, took down
the names Of several witnesses and remarked
that he wanted them to notice the condition
OF things as he should want their testimony
In court. The third car derailed was turned
directly across the track and rested per-
fectly level. The two behind il were
PITCHED DOWN A BANK
ten feet and stood at an angle of forty-five
degrees. Scobell was in the baggage car and
was caught by tumbling boxes and trunks
His right leg was broken below the knee and
the left badly crushed at the thigh. He also
received internal injuries, the extent Of
which cannot be asccrtained at
this time. DR.. Porter thinks his
case doubtful. Two or three others com
plaincd of internal injuries, but it is thought
none will die. The rear car, the engine and
two express cars were the only ones which
were left on the track. By those who were
present il is regarded as one of the most re-
markable accidents on record. The escape
from death is little short Of miraculous. DIR.
Porter and Col. Magill report that if there
had been fire in any of the stoves on the
train the great majority on board the derailed
ears would have been killed. Various causes
a. alleged for the accident-heat of the sun.
spreading of the rails, rotten ties, sinking of
the track, ETC.
SCORFIJ'S INJuRIES
II. II. Scobel was recently appointed as
elstant superintendent of telegraphy of the
Northern Pacific, having been chief teleg-
rapher for several years before his appoint
ment. He is very popular, not only with the
employees OF the Northern Pacific but with
those of other roads. He has a
wife and three children in ST.
Paul. and when the accident occurred
had been out or the road on business con-
ne'cted with the company. Reports received
at the Northern Pacific Offices last night show
that he had suffered compound fracture of
the right leg and that the left leg had been
considerably bruised. His injuries were not
considered fatal. AT last reports he was on
his way to the Brainerd sanitarium.
ABERDEEN'S NEW ROAD.